Jen Porter

With music that flows from one song to the next, from style to style, Jen Porter has the ability to captivate any audience. Critics say her voice is "soulfully raucous" and that she is "without a doubt an artist to keep your eye on." She is compared to Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin in the same breath. With a voice that reaches out and grabs you, and a piano style that's captivating and melodic, her performance is always memorable.

Born and raised in Chicago, Jen was singing before she could walk and began playing piano at the age of 5. She received classical training over the next 14 years. During college, she learned guitar. Soon after obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1996 from the University of Michigan, Jen realized that she wanted to perform. She worked with several bands, singing lead and harmonies, and playing piano and guitar in many venues around southeastern Michigan for close to five years. 

Jen's powerful voice is attracting more attention than ever before. She has played many venues around Chicago, including The Cubby Bear, House Of Blues Hotel and Hard Rock Café. Her style is expansive and universal — and you can't help but love her powerhouse voice and smooth piano.

Jen performs a repertoire drawing on such diverse songbooks as those of Stevie Nicks, Aretha Franklin, Alanis Morrisette, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Queen — as well as her own original compositions. Don't miss this performance force, as she continues on her unique path to wow audiences everywhere.

Career Highlights

• Recently released her fourth album Closer to the Surface, produced, recorded and mixed by Grammy-nominated Chris Steinmetz
• Named Best Local Musician (Chicago) by the Chicago Free Press
• Performed for an audience of more than 200,000 people at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
• Regularly performs U.S. National Anthem for the nationally-televised Chicago White Sox; has also performed for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Fire, and Detroit Pistons
• Featured on Stonecutter Records’ Acoustic Chicago compilation
• Featured Chi-Tunes performer in Red Eye, a Chicago Tribune Publication
• Frequently heard on satellite and terrestrial radio across the U.S. and Europe
• Composed original music and had work commissioned for film and television projects